


Two Can Play

by SomewhereFlying



Series: Goro Week 2019 [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, M/M, Pool & Billiards, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 12:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20760521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomewhereFlying/pseuds/SomewhereFlying
Summary: As a rule, Goro Akechi did not go out for fun; it was difficult to publicly enjoy his hobbies without drawing the attention of the media or of his fans. His weekly excursions to Kichijoji to play pool with Leblanc's quiet barista were the exception to this rule.Goro Week 2019 Day One:Seasons|Friendships|Hobbies





	Two Can Play

* * *

If Goro was being honest, he had felt an overwhelming sensation of dread the first time he had bumped into Akira on his way to Kichijoji. Ever since his dramatic surge in popularity, trying to keep up with his hobbies had become nothing more than a tedious chore, and he could hardly leave home without being expected to perform for an insatiable public that yearned for more of the prim and proper Detective Prince than he cared to share.

It was absolutely exhausting, as if his schedule wasn’t exhausting enough on its own. He’d canceled his membership to the climbing gym near his apartment – it was impossible to focus on keeping his footing when he could feel a dozen eyes on his back – and the only reason he continued to bike was because it was a convenient means of transportation. Truly, the modest little billiards hall had become his last refuge outside of his apartment, and he despised the prospect of sharing it with someone else.

Akira, however, was so completely unlike anyone else Goro had ever met: at first glance, he was unassuming, even plain, and yet the more time Goro spent with him, the more he began to see the depths that Akira hid beneath that calm exterior. In a way, he wasn’t unlike Goro himself, disguising his true nature behind layers and layers of falsehoods – though to what end, Goro couldn’t tell.

They had known each other for only a few months now, and yet in that time, Goro had grown to enjoy his company, and he even found there was something… _rebellious_ about letting his guard down around a person like him. So to spend an evening or two attempting to best Akira in game of skill… it wasn’t so bad.

The pool hall was quiet tonight, filled with little more than the distant hum of atmospheric music and the intermittent clink of glasses from over at the bar, and as the rest of the room faded away beneath the warm glow of the lamp hanging above their table, it was easy for Goro to imagine that he and Akira were completely alone.

“Would you care to break, Kurusu-kun?” Goro asked.

From the other side of the billiards table, Akira smiled at him – the same maddening smile he always wore when he was making fun of Goro.

“I hope you’re not insinuating anything about my skill, Akechi-kun,” he said.

“Not at all,” Goro replied, matching Akira’s smile with one of his own. “But I believe I broke first the last time we played. It’s only fair.”

Akira took a cue stick from the rack, swiping a chalk block over the tip and eying the pristine diamond of pool balls waiting for him.

“All right,” he said.

Goro retrieved a cue stick of his own and watched Akira make the shot. It was a clean break, sending pool balls scattering across the table, though Akira had failed to pocket anything. That hardly mattered in the grand scheme of things, however; it was the first move that would set the tone for the rest of the game.

Leaning across the table, gracefully bent at the waist, Akira stared down his cue at the solid yellow one-ball before looking up, peering at Goro from behind his choppy bangs and making the shot blind. Goro tore his eyes from Akira’s gaze to watch the ball glide smoothly across the table, where it slotted itself into the far-left pocket without any trouble. Akira righted himself, and the small smile on his face bloomed into a full-blown smirk.

_Cocky_, Goro thought. He circled the table, tilting his chin up and regarding Akira with an aloof stare while he contemplated his next move. The number two ball was sitting a few centimeters from the table’s edge, and again, Akira bent over, his back parallel to the floor as he aimed for the middle pocket, which was only slightly off-center from where he stood. It shouldn’t be hard…

He tried to pull the same move as before, cocking his head and narrowing his eyes playfully at Goro as he made the hit, but he wasn’t so lucky this time, striking the ball just slightly off-target. His smirk immediately disappeared, and Goro couldn’t help but laugh.

“Be patient, Kurusu,” he said. “We’ve only just started… there will be plenty of time to show off later.”

Standing back from the table, Goro planted his feet on the ground, searching for the best angle from which to approach the two-ball Akira had failed to pocket. Dipping down low, he formed an elegant bridge with his right hand and slid the cue stick between his fingers, striking the target with calculated strength. His aim was true, and the little blue ball sailed into the pocket easily.

Goro barely kept his delight to himself when he heard Akira trying to stifle a disgruntled sigh. His skill at billiards may have been a surprise to Akira, but to Goro, it was second nature; at the end of the day, what was pool about if not striking an enemy from behind and forcing them to go where you pleased?

He carried on in a similar fashion, easily making his next two shots, though not as precisely as he could have; his last shot had left the cue ball sitting nearly dead-center of the table, while his next target, the five-ball, had rolled off to the side – a miscalculation on Goro’s part. He took a steadying breath and leaned down over the table, so close that his stomach brushed against the weird material, and though he made a valiant effort, he simply couldn’t get a good angle on the cue ball, missing his target by a wide margin.

With a sigh, he stood upright and turned to look at Akira, who – rather than looking at the table, as Goro had assumed he would be – appeared to be staring at _Goro_, his eyes distant and unfocused beneath his glasses. Odd. Was he watching Goro’s posture in the hopes of picking up a trick or two?

“Well?” Goro prompted, gesturing to the table. Akira shook himself from his reverie and picked up his cue stick again. Then, after pondering his shot for nearly a half-minute, he managed to sink the five-ball, though only barely.

This time, as Akira prepared to pocket the next ball, Goro took a step to the side and observed him from afar. It was certainly a… _unique_ pose one had to assume in order to play this game, and despite himself, Goro found his attention straying to Akira’s legs, long and shapely and on _very_ prominent display at the moment.

The cue ball collided with the seven-ball, making a resounding _crack_, and Goro turned away, heat creeping onto his cheeks. Did… did _he_ stand like that when he was playing? If he did, it wasn’t on purpose – it was simply the best way to play the game – but it did call into question the way Akira had been eyeing him earlier. Maybe he…

But no, surely not.

Akira made another shot, and Goro frowned as the eight ball dropped into a pocket. He didn’t like to start the day with a loss. Some of Akira’s confidence seemed to have returned, as well, and he looked up to throw Goro a cocky smirk.

In retaliation, Goro leaned against the table, pretending to stretch and arching his back, pulling the hem of his shirt free from where it had been tucked beneath his belt. Akira’s attention snapped away from the table for a split second, and when he did finally make his shot, he gripped his cue stick too tight, throwing off his aim. The nine-ball just clipped the pocket’s corner, bouncing back onto the table.

“Damn it,” he muttered, and Goro held his tongue. Laughing right now would not be very sportsmanlike. Instead, Goro took his time setting up his shot, pocketing the nine-ball and securing his victory.

“Good game,” Akira said. His tone was pleasant enough, but the pout on his face spoke to his disappointment, while the faint dusting of pink across his cheeks spoke to something else entirely.

“You did very well,” Goro said. “You nearly had me, if only you hadn’t scratched just then. Is something on your mind, Kurusu-kun?”

Akira shook his head, toying with a tuft of hair.

“No. I just need to warm up,” he said. He was already reaching into the closest pocket, retrieving the pool balls to reset the rack. “Play again?”

“Of course,” Goro said, swallowing down the lump in his throat and doing his best to ignore the way his heart was beating just a bit faster now – a sensation he attributed to his victory and nothing else – “…so long as you’re prepared to lose.”

* * *


End file.
